Get Vaccinated Before You Travel

Protect your child and family when traveling in the United States or abroad by:

• Getting the shots required for all countries you and your family plan to visit during your trip
• Making sure you and your family are up-to-date on all routine U.S. vaccines
• Staying informed about travel notices and alerts and how they can affect your family’s travel plans

Avoid getting sick or coming back home and spreading the disease to others.

Vaccinate at least a month before you travel

See your doctor when you start to plan your trip abroad. It’s important to do this well in advance.

• Your body needs time to build up immunity.
• You may need several weeks to get all the doses of the vaccine.
• Your primary doctor may not stock travel vaccines. Visit a travel medical clinic.
• You’ll need time to prepare for your pre-travel appointment.
• If the country you visit requires a yellow fever vaccine, only a limited number of clinics have the vaccine and will probably be some distance from where you live. You must get it at least 10 days before travel.

TIP: Save time by getting routine vaccines during the same doctor visit. Use the Vaccine Self-Assessment Tool and discuss the results with your doctor. It tells you which U.S. recommended vaccines you (19 years and older) or your child (birth – 18 years) might need.

Last-minute travelers

When traveling to another country be aware your doctor may not carry a travel vaccine and you may have to visit a medical clinic.

Many travel vaccines require multiple shots or take time to become fully effective. But some multiple-dose vaccines (like hepatitis A) can still give you partial protection after just one dose. Some can also be given on an “accelerated schedule,” meaning doses are given in a shorter period of time.